Do You Need Building Consent for a Deck in Palmerston North?

Most ground-level and low decks in Palmerston North do not need a building consent. Decks where someone could fall more than 1.5 metres usually do. But exempt does not mean anything goes: the deck still has to meet the Building Code, and the council's district plan can still have a say.

Separate from deck building consent, the Building Code (clause F4, Safety from Falling) requires a barrier wherever someone could fall one metre or more. So a deck can be exempt from consent and still legally need a balustrade, anywhere between one metre and 1.5 metres of fall height.

Barriers have rules of their own. Under the Acceptable Solution F4/AS1, a balustrade on a residential deck is typically at least 1 metre high, measured from the deck surface, with openings small enough that a 100mm sphere cannot pass through, and no footholds that would let a small child climb it. Stairs have their own, slightly lower, handrail height. Those are the commonly used figures; the Building Code itself sets the performance standard.

We build balustrades in timber, powder-coated aluminium or glass that meet those requirements. See raised and sloping-site decks.

NZS 3604 and decks

NZS 3604 is the New Zealand standard for light timber-framed buildings, and it is what most decks are designed to. It sets pile sizes and spacings, bearer and joist sizes for a given span, and fixing requirements. Whether or not your deck needs a consent, building it to NZS 3604 is how you know the frame is right. Read how a deck is built in NZ.

How much is a permit to build a deck?

If your deck does need a building consent, expect the council's fees plus the cost of drawings, which together typically add somewhere around $1,500 to $4,000, and a few weeks to the timeline. Check current fees with Palmerston North City Council or Manawatū District Council. See the full deck cost guide.

Pool decks

Residential pools must have a barrier that meets the Building Code, and councils inspect pool barriers regularly. A deck next to a pool can make a barrier climbable, or become part of the access to the water. Plan pool decks with the barrier in mind and confirm the layout with council. More on our pool decks page.

Pergolas

An open pergola is generally exempt from building consent. Add a solid or polycarbonate roof and it starts to behave like a verandah, awning or carport, which have their own size limits for exemption. Check before you roof it. See pergolas.

Feilding and the Manawatū District

Feilding, and rural properties outside the city boundary, fall under Manawatū District Council rather than Palmerston North City Council. The Building Act rules are the same nationally; the council you deal with and its district plan are different. Ashhurst and Bunnythorpe are within Palmerston North City.